[RiskyKen]

Built this in about 2-3 weeks, (Like a year now!) its not a very long map but it can be fun.

It is an objective based map where you have to enter a desert base and download some files from there mainframe, you then have to escape the base again and wait for your drop ship.

Most of the map is almost complete, however the end battle is not fully finished yet.

Download

syn_desert_assault_beta_6.zip (7.51 MB)

syn_desert_assault_beta_6.7z (4.65 MB)

Screens

[CMaster]

OK so, thoughts:

You have a sniper out in the open at the start. This is bad practice. You have what looks like a combine soldier standing stiff as a board and somehow impervious to bullets. Snipers are designed to be hidden away, not sat there visibly.

Once you get into the base up until entering the main chamber, running out of ammo becomes a real problem. A crate somewhere would be handy.

While you've obviously made some effort to avoid every room being boxes, some more use of decals and perhaps some angles that aren't at 90 degrees to everything else would be good, as well as perhaps some ceiling height variation.

The regular lock-door and teleport setup feels a bit odd, but keeps everybody going in the right direction.

A lot of the fighting still revolves around one-man wide doorways. It can be hard to avoid, I know but perhaps making a bit more cover near room entrances would help.

One of the odder things about the map is that the players feel kinda underpowered the whole way through - down to weapon choice and small amounts of health I guess. This became particularly apparent in the last battle, where a team of 4-5 were wiped several times by a pair of Overwatch Elites.

Speaking of the last battle - it's quite possible to sit in a place where you can see the enemies spawn and shoot them as they do. Making them spawn out of sight and using a scripted sequence to bring them to the players may be a better approach.

Actually seeing the dropship arrive and getting an escape ending sequence would be nice.

Only one bug I noticed really - you seem to want to have the headcrabs at the start friendly to the overwatch. However, the overwatch still shoot at the poison headcrabs.

All around, good work. The map isn't especially memorable in terms of gameplay or locations, but it plays smoothly and nothing jumps out as being wrong.

[JACKOFDOOM]

it require ep2?

[RiskyKen]

It require ep2?

Yes

[RiskyKen]

You have a sniper out in the open at the start. This is bad practice. You have what looks like a combine soldier standing stiff as a board and somehow impervious to bullets. Snipers are designed to be hidden away, not sat there visibly.

Will put him in a little hut.

While you've obviously made some effort to avoid every room being boxes, some more use of decals and perhaps some angles that aren't at 90 degrees to everything else would be good, as well as perhaps some ceiling height variation.

Can you tell me what you think of the newer one?

Once you get into the base up until entering the main chamber, running out of ammo becomes a real problem. A crate somewhere would be handy.

One of the odder things about the map is that the players feel kinda underpowered the whole way through - down to weapon choice and small amounts of health I guess. This became particularly apparent in the last battle, where a team of 4-5 were wiped several times by a pair of Overwatch Elites.

Was trying to make it hard

Actually seeing the dropship arrive and getting an escape ending sequence would be nice.

Just need to find a dropship model.

Only one bug I noticed really - you seem to want to have the headcrabs at the start friendly to the overwatch. However, the overwatch still shoot at the poison headcrabs.

Still can't seem to make them friends, will mess about and see what I can do.


I have updated the map, looks a lot better now (I think), there is two new rooms and have mixed up the final battle.

I am still not happy with the final battle so I will change it soon and also the start area.

Sorry about the one line replies

[CMaster]

Making the combine soldiers and poison headcrabs friendly should be as simple as creating an AI relationship (with a big range) with npc_combine_s and npc_poison_headcrab (or whatever the classnames are) with relationship set to friend and the "reciprocal" flag checked.

Those thoughts were based on Alpha 4. Will try 6 at some point.

And the underpowered point wasn't a complaint, just an observation.

[RiskyKen]

Making the combine soldiers and poison headcrabs friendly should be as simple as creating an AI relationship (with a big range) with npc_combine_s and npc_poison_headcrab (or whatever the classnames are) with relationship set to friend and the "reciprocal" flag checked.

Those thoughts were based on Alpha 4. Will try 6 at some point.

And the underpowered point wasn't a complaint, just an observation.

I was using npc_headcrab_black I think will try poisons.

I only tested this with 3 players, just tryed it with 5 and had the ammo issue a lot so I am going to add more in.

[RiskyKen]

Updated to alpha 7

Changed

• Changed two doors to double doors
• Added more ammo throughout the map
• Added AR2's into the computer room
• Start with more ammo for the SMG and pistol

Fixed

• The npc in the garage should spawn better now (maybe !!!)
• The sniper can no longer be seen
• Some odd bugs with the ceiling details
• All headcrabs are now friends with the combine
• Antlion guard is no longer invisible in the last battle
• Seeing two headcrab canisters in the skybox
• Players getting onto the upper platform in the computer room

Todo

• Add more detail to some parks of the map
• Move/Change/Add some of the cover.
• Fix the sam site puzzle
• Make the battle in the main chamber more epic
• Add a dropship into the end of the map (anyone got a model?)
• Fix NPC's in the computer room sometimes not coming out of the door
• Fix FPS issues in the main chamber
• Fix FPS issues with the end battle
• Make the vorts and the combine friends
• Difficulty tweeks

[CMaster]

http://rvanhoorn.ruhosting.nl/optimization.php - this might be useful in your attempts to optimize the level.

[RiskyKen]

http://rvanhoorn.ruhosting.nl/optimization.php - this might be useful in your attempts to optimize the level.

Thanks already had that in my bookmarks

I have already optimized some of the level, I think I just when over the top with the water in the main chamber and I got a bit carried away with the headcrab canisters at the end.

[.::IgNiS::.]

Add a dropship into the end of the map (anyone got a model?)

you could make one out of brushes, and make it land in the map via tracktrain, opening some back gate so the players can get in, and when all alive players are in, make it leave and end the map
(srry played to much left4dead ) It would still look nice and would give you more of a feeling "you did it"

[RiskyKen]

you could make one out of brushes, and make it land in the map via tracktrain, opening some back gate so the players can get in, and when all alive players are in, make it leave and end the map
(srry played to much left4dead ) It would still look nice and would give you more of a feeling "you did it"

I plan to make one out of brushes if i can't get a model one. Last time I made a dropship from brushes it went very bad lol

[Archanor]

Is this map being hosted on any server? I'd really like to try it out.

Apart from that it's a bit low on detail, it looks like a map I could have some fun on. (Just judging from screenshots.)

[RiskyKen]

Is this map being hosted on any server? I'd really like to try it out.

Apart from that it's a bit low on detail, it looks like a map I could have some fun on. (Just judging from screenshots.)

Have started my testing server will leave it running tonight

[CMaster]

Is this map being hosted on any server? I'd really like to try it out.

Apart from that it's a bit low on detail, it looks like a map I could have some fun on. (Just judging from screenshots.)

It can be voted on on my server (CM's Server).
Just putting up version 7 now - the screenshots at the top of this thread suggests it has improved a lot from A4.

Edit: gah, stupid forum insists on putting a http:// ahead of the steam://

[ultradude25]

It can be voted on on my server (CM's Server).
Just putting up version 7 now - the screenshots at the top of this thread suggests it has improved a lot from A4.

Edit: gah, stupid forum insists on putting a http:// ahead of the steam://

Have a redirect on the house.

CM's Server

[RiskyKen]

Just putting up version 7 now - the screenshots at the top of this thread suggests it has improved a lot from A4.

Just to point out that the screens are from the WIP version 8

[CMaster]

Just to point out that the screens are from the WIP version 8

What happened with this?
Beta 2 was pretty good, just a couple of issues needing resolving really - but still isn't publically available apparently.

[RiskyKen]

What happened with this?
Beta 2 was pretty good, just a couple of issues needing resolving really - but still isn't publically available apparently.

Been a bit busy (or erm lazy) will upload the fixed one tomorrow, also thanks for letting me test this on your server while my own one was down.

Also trying to think of something to spice this map up a little, it seems to lack the "oh yeah that map" moment.

[RiskyKen]

Updated to syn_desert_assault_beta_2


Added

• A drop ship will now arrive for the players at the end of the map.
• Some rocks to the outside area
• A crossbow has been added into the map

Changed

• The canteen now has a double high ceiling.
• The sam site puzzle has been changed.
• All the cover in the map has been changed/moved.
• Removed a small amount of ammo from the map.

Fixed

• Players getting up to the top platform in the computer room AGAIN.
• The NPC's not spawning in the garage AGAIN.
• Some bugs with the skybox.
• NPC's in the computer room will now come out of the door.
• The FPS issues for the main chamber and the end battle .

EDIT:
Oh yeah the map has HDR lights now